Some comparative solid state drive (SSD) devices maintain legacy hard disk drive (HDD) mechanical features, including electrical features (e.g. SAS (Serial Attached SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)) and SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) buses) and software features (e.g. drivers) for backward compatibility. Some comparative systems and methods for routing data in, or to, such storage devices may have certain drawbacks. For example, as described in more detail herein, some comparative systems and methods involve a controller being in an incoming data path (an “in-path” controller), which can result in a bottleneck due to the controllers limited data processing capabilities. Some other comparative systems and methods do not implement an in-path controller, but also do not provide for virtualized management of data routing. One or more of the embodiments described herein address these and other issues.